On Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of conducting a drone attack on the Kremlin in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. This marks the most severe accusation Moscow has made against Kyiv since invading Ukraine over 14 months ago. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on Moscow's statement.

The Kremlin claimed that two drones targeted Putin's residence within the Kremlin citadel but were neutralized by electronic defenses. Russia warned that it reserved the right to retaliate, implying that the alleged incident could serve as a pretext for escalating the conflict with Ukraine.

The Kremlin's statement read, "Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin. As a result of timely actions taken by the military and special services with the use of radar warfare systems, the devices were put out of action."

It continued, "We regard these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the president's life, carried out on the eve of Victory Day, the May 9 Parade, at which the presence of foreign guests is also planned."

Baza, a Telegram channel with ties to Russian law enforcement agencies, shared a video showing a flying object nearing the dome of the Kremlin Senate building and exploding in a bright flash just before impact. Reuters was unable to verify the video's authenticity immediately.

The presidential administration's statement indicated that drone fragments were found on the Kremlin complex grounds, but no casualties or material damage resulted from the incident. RIA news agency reported that Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time and was working at his Novo Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow on Wednesday.